Stage IV Gastric Cancer: Buddy's Patient Story
This gastric cancer diagnosis at a glance
- Stage at diagnosis
- Stage IV
- Sex
- Male
- Spread to
- adrenal gland
- Treatment
- chemotherapy
- Outcome
- In Memory
Treatment course, step by step
- Buddy received chemotherapy after his Stage IV diagnosis.
- Surgery was not possible because the cancer had spread to the adrenal gland.
What happened, in summary
Shortly after turning 72, Buddy began having serious difficulty eating and increasing fatigue. In July, he was diagnosed with cancer at the gastroesophageal junction, where the stomach and esophagus meet. The disease was Stage IV and had spread to an adrenal gland.
Buddy began chemotherapy, but surgery was not possible because of the metastatic disease. The tumor made eating difficult, and treatment caused dehydration and frequent bowel problems. His family briefly felt hopeful when he was able to eat a full turkey dinner during treatment.
Buddy died on November 9, 2012, a little more than 3 months after diagnosis. His family remembered him as a devoted husband, father, grandfather, brother, and uncle, and called for better recognition of persistent symptoms and earlier detection.
Where this story comes from
This is a lay summary of an account first published by No Stomach For Cancer. Read the original in full
How we source and attribute stories Accuracy and limitations
These are lay summaries of published cancer stories, for information only. No two cancers behave the same way, and nothing here predicts your own diagnosis or replaces advice from your oncology team. Read the full disclaimer